Opinion: Invest in UK science says Martin Rees

Times Online : Ever since the industrial revolution, science has driven the global economy. As a scientific nation, the UK is, by most indicators, second only to the US. But this is not fully reflected in our economic strength, so where have we gone wrong?In these tough times, we are refocusing on how best to harness this strength to our national advantage. Political responsibility for nurturing our academic talent and for unlocking its economic benefit now rests with a single “super-ministry": the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and particularly in the hands of Lords Mandelson and Drayson.It seems clear in retrospect that this country was precariously overdependent on its financial sector; so the new ministry’s aim should be to ensure that our science and engineering strength enables us to emerge from the downturn with a more diversified economy. There should plainly be special boosts for sectors ripe for exploitation—via, for instance, the Technology Strategy Board. But is important that long-term prospects—and the strength and breadth of the UK’s academic base—should not be jeopardised.